MONTREAL – Here’s what you need to know about the Ducks’ 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night:

THE GAME IN 140 OR LESS

– Playing a rested team that relies on speed and skill was a tough matchup for the grinding Ducks. Being fatigued made it impossible to keep up.

THE QUOTE

– “In order to be on a good team, you’ve got to be good on the road and you’ve got to be able to play stingy. Our team’s done it before where we’ve been good in terms of limiting goals against. The way we’re losing right now is just isn’t our team. We’ve always been good at playing good and strong defensively and playing the system. And it always gives us a chance to win. But we’re giving up way too many goals against right now. We’re giving up way too many chances and you’re never going to win like that.” – Andrew Cogliano

THE PLAYER

– Jeff Petry. The veteran defenseman has been a good fit in Montreal and he was an active part of the Canadiens’ counter attack all game, getting a goal and two primary assists.

THE MOMENT

– Not long after an empty power play to start the third period failed to give the Ducks any momentum as they looked to tie the game, Ducks goalie Jonathan Bernier got the puck behind his net and sent it around the boards, with the goal of hitting a teammate to begin a breakout toward the Montreal end. The puck got by Nick Ritchie and Petry jumped on it near the Anaheim blue line, keeping it in and quickly firing a shot on goal that got by Bernier and banked in off the post. The Canadiens suddenly had a two-goal lead and poured it on from there.

THE THOUGHT

– It should have mattered that the Ducks could line up Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Antoine Vermette through the middle and the Habs countering with young Phillip Danault and struggling veteran Tomas Plekanec at the top of the center lineup with Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais out due to knee injuries. But it didn’t and the season-low 13 shots on goal reflected a tired team whose execution and decision making showed how their attention to detail was lacking all game. The Ducks continually dumped pucks into spots where Canadiens goalie Carey Price – not only the best in the game right now but the best at playing the puck – easily acted as a de facto third defenseman in allowing his teammates to get it out of their zone and completely neutralize any forecheck Anaheim could have hoped to employ. Not that much of one would have occurred as the Ducks also seemed a step behind. Only the team’s best line, the Ryan Kesler-led group, got anything done with effectiveness and the fact that the supposed top line isn’t the best continues to be a growing concern. The nights that Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have had a major impact have gotten to be fewer and fewer. And Tuesday’s third pairing of Kevin Bieksa and Korbinian Holzer were simply no match for the speedy Canadiens. Shea Theodore struggled mightily in Detroit and has lost several pounds on the road trip so he might not have been an option. But he’s a better option, even if mistakes are made.

THE TREND

– The Ducks have won consecutive road games only once – Nov. 26 at San Jose and Dec. 1 at Vancouver.

THE NEWS

– Left wing Andrew Cogliano extended his consecutive games streak to 738 games, making it the fifth-longest in NHL history as he passed Jay Bouwmeester. Cogliano has yet to miss a game in his 10-year NHL career after making his debut with Edmonton to begin the 2007-08 season.

THE DRESSING ROOM

– “Yeah, we just didn’t play with the puck. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. If you don’t play with structure, it’s going to end up in the back of your net.” – Ryan Getzlaf

– “What happens, it hurts. It hurts your soul, your fabric of your group. And even though we didn’t play that well, we were in a position after two periods one goal down. They score a power-play goal off a neutral zone faceoff, which is very rare but they did it and we gave that up.” – Randy Carlyle

– “Well, we can’t really put that in our head. I think we’re professionals. We got to find a way to take care of our bodies and make sure that we’re ready every night. I think in the second and third, we felt like everyone ran out of little bit of juice.” – Jonathan Bernier

THE KEY STATS

– Andrew Cogliano had a team-leading three shots and his ninth goal of the season.

– The third defensive pairing of Kevin Bieksa and Korbinian Holzer each had a minus-2 rating.

– The Ducks were credited with 45 hits, with Nick Ritchie and Josh Manson each having seven.

– Ryan Getzlaf did not attempt a shot for the second time in three games.

– Rickard Rakell attempted two shots, putting one on net and missing it the other.

– Hampus Lindholm had a team-high 24:05 of ice time along with an even rating.

– Paul Byron had a goal, assist and four shots on goal for Montreal.

– Jeff Petry led the Canadiens with five shots and three points.

– Torrey Mitchell had an assist and won seven of 11 faceoffs.

-Tomas Plekanec scored his third goal of the season for the Canadiens, his second in 20 games.

THE RECORD

– 17-12-5 (10-4-1 at home, 7-8-4 on road), tied for second place in Pacific Division

THE NEXT ONE

– The Ducks play the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre at 4:30 p.m.

Eric Stephens has been covering the Ducks and the NHL for news outlets since 2005 and for the Orange County Register since 2009. Now happily spreading the hockey gospel throughout the Southern California News Group. Has covered three Stanley Cup Finals and (sadly) one NHL lockout. Once took up an invitation to a fan's tailgate barbecue at the College World Series. Has all sorts of genres on his iPod and tries his best in whatever he does most of the time. Only the grits at Waffle House come close to his. Eternal goal: Be better.

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